And in an interview with O Magazine, where King serves as editor-at-large, she revealed what she was thinking during those tense—and potentially scary—moments.

"I was not scared. I never thought he was going to hit me. After, Oprah and my kids Kirby and Will called me to ask if I was okay because it looked scary. But I was never worried he was going to hurt me. I was more worried that he was going to get up and leave."

She continued, “So what I was really thinking to myself was: I’m not done with this interview, so I’m going to let him have his moment. If I stood up even to comfort him, that could have been his invitation to say ‘This is over.’ So I didn’t interrupt his anger and let him have that. I just knew that I was never in danger. I did worry at some points that he might accidentally hit me, because he was so angry that he was flailing. But I knew that I wasn’t in any real danger. I just kept thinking ‘Okay, Robert, go ahead’ and that’s what I said.”

And the people of the internet are all about King’s cool and collected demeanor.

R Kelly isn’t even talking to Gayle so much as he’s talking to the camera. He wants this interview to be another performance. He wasn’t ready for Gayle’s stellar and unflappable style. pic.twitter.com/jxYisuGT1N

Back in the studio, King told her co-anchors that it wouldn’t have done any good if they both had gotten hysterical. And we’re giving her so many kudos (because, to be honest, we don’t know if we could have remained calm).

Women’s History Month is off to an empowering start. Watch the entire interview here.